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A capella Beach Boys
Sep. 18th, 2010 02:29 pmA workmate linked me to this recording of the Beach Boys with all the non-vocal tracks dropped out.
I always knew they played a lot with vocal harmony, but stripped bare it is very impressive.
I always knew they played a lot with vocal harmony, but stripped bare it is very impressive.
Good and Bad
Jul. 16th, 2010 03:55 pmThe Bad is that I still can't get the computer to even recognize the modem as existing, and I am running dangerously low on cash before I get any pay coming to me.
The Good is that I have a contract being sent to me as we speak for a position as a medical writer for a multimedia medical education company, with the possibility of moving into a managing editor position fairly quickly if things work out well.
The Bad is that I cannot purchase s00j's new album until I get some funds and therefore am ineligible for a trading card.
The Good is that I'll hopefully be able to replace some of my crumbling electronics in the not-too-distant future and maybe even listen to her music on a decent sound system.
I cannot decide if the cute girl at the cafe with the FAR too revealing low-cut top sitting across from me and leaning forward deeply to read her magazine is good, bad, or just distracting.
The Good is that I have a contract being sent to me as we speak for a position as a medical writer for a multimedia medical education company, with the possibility of moving into a managing editor position fairly quickly if things work out well.
The Bad is that I cannot purchase s00j's new album until I get some funds and therefore am ineligible for a trading card.
The Good is that I'll hopefully be able to replace some of my crumbling electronics in the not-too-distant future and maybe even listen to her music on a decent sound system.
I cannot decide if the cute girl at the cafe with the FAR too revealing low-cut top sitting across from me and leaning forward deeply to read her magazine is good, bad, or just distracting.
For those of you who twitter!
To celebrate the paperback release of GEEKTASTIC, won't you join the supremely fabulous Cecil Castellucci (aka my sister) and some of the other people who contributed (Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Libba Bray, Wendy Mass and Alvina Ling) for a tweetchat tonight, Monday July 12th at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST? Use the hashtag #geektastic and come and hang out and be geeky!
In other Cecil news:
For the Bostonians (especially the young ones), she will be in town on Saturday, August 14th at Curious George in Harvard Square, doing a book signing for her new picture-book Grandma's Gloves, along with hosting a craft/tea party. The fun starts at noon!
You should also read the essay about The Darth Vader Project and the formative power of Vader on Cecil's storytelling. (Plus, a there's a song for you to download!)
To celebrate the paperback release of GEEKTASTIC, won't you join the supremely fabulous Cecil Castellucci (aka my sister) and some of the other people who contributed (Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Libba Bray, Wendy Mass and Alvina Ling) for a tweetchat tonight, Monday July 12th at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST? Use the hashtag #geektastic and come and hang out and be geeky!
In other Cecil news:
For the Bostonians (especially the young ones), she will be in town on Saturday, August 14th at Curious George in Harvard Square, doing a book signing for her new picture-book Grandma's Gloves, along with hosting a craft/tea party. The fun starts at noon!
You should also read the essay about The Darth Vader Project and the formative power of Vader on Cecil's storytelling. (Plus, a there's a song for you to download!)
Enter Sandman - The Swing Version
May. 27th, 2010 02:46 pmWhile still contemplating a mad dash to Magnet, I present to you the results of an automatic program to turn anything into a swing song.
Enter Sandman- the Swing Version by plamere
It's a piece of Python code that does this distortion automatically. "It does this be taking each beat and time-stretching the first half of each beat while time-shrinking the second half."
Enter Sandman- the Swing Version by plamere
It's a piece of Python code that does this distortion automatically. "It does this be taking each beat and time-stretching the first half of each beat while time-shrinking the second half."
Photos from Madame Merveille
May. 7th, 2010 03:05 pmThe ECM+ put up some pictures of the comic book opera's first performance. Last performance is tonight, and it is pretty freaking amazing. You should all go.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECM-Ensemble-contemporain-de-Montreal/135587246763?ref=ts&v=wall#!/album.php?aid=174472&id=135587246763&ref=mf
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECM-Ensemble-contemporain-de-Montreal/135587246763?ref=ts&v=wall#!/album.php?aid=174472&id=135587246763&ref=mf
Comic Book Opera! Tomorrow and Friday!
May. 5th, 2010 02:52 pmOnce again, a reminder to you all that you should get your tickets for Les Aventures de Madame Merveille!, the comic book opera written by my extremely fabulous sister.
She talks all about it on her LJ here.
Tickets are going fast! So you should call and get one!
please phone to order tickets 514-524-0173
Lieu : Maison de la culture Frontenac
2550 Ontario Est, Montréal
Billet régulier : 25$
Billet étudiant/aîné : 15$
She talks all about it on her LJ here.
Tickets are going fast! So you should call and get one!
please phone to order tickets 514-524-0173
Lieu : Maison de la culture Frontenac
2550 Ontario Est, Montréal
Billet régulier : 25$
Billet étudiant/aîné : 15$
Covers and interviews
Apr. 19th, 2010 11:35 amNot necessarily in that order.
The interview this morning went well, I thought. It's not a "I will crush people to get this job" level job, but it does seem solid and interesting and with a good group.
If I do end up back in Boston, I will have to return to stand up. I went to Improv Boston last night with K_____ and am willing to bet that unprepared and unrehearsed, I would have blown everyone on stage out of the water with the possible exception of the headliner.
Unrelated, but following on my theme of loving covers of songs - Don't Stand So Close To Me Young Girl.
Some random pretty computer art.
Another cover
The interview this morning went well, I thought. It's not a "I will crush people to get this job" level job, but it does seem solid and interesting and with a good group.
If I do end up back in Boston, I will have to return to stand up. I went to Improv Boston last night with K_____ and am willing to bet that unprepared and unrehearsed, I would have blown everyone on stage out of the water with the possible exception of the headliner.
Unrelated, but following on my theme of loving covers of songs - Don't Stand So Close To Me Young Girl.
Some random pretty computer art.
Another cover
Stage presence
Mar. 4th, 2010 09:29 amI figured out what was so irritating about the Microphone Voices performance. The singer lacked the stage presence to pull it off. You can be an incoherent, incomprehensible mess, but you have to be so compelling on stage that people are just sucked in. If not, that kind of over the top affectation is just goofy-looking or grating.
Microphone Songs - review
Mar. 3rd, 2010 11:48 pmI went to the ECM+'s presentation of Microphone Songs (can't remember how to link directly to an internal frame or I'd help you all dodge the music that plays on that site) tonight. It was a joint production between them and a group from Bordeaux called Proxima Centauri.
I find contemporary music challenging. I understand and appreciate they are trying to do new things, but often I find it seems to be cacophony for cacophony's sake.
There were X pieces, and I was quite fond of the first and the last two.
Vaai Irandu by Gabriel Dharmoo was a piece that focused on human voice as an instrument. I am fairly certain there were no actual words in the piece, and it used just about every vocalization I've ever heard in a language. (Including the clicks and pops common to some African languages. I don't know the name of those, but have enough linguistics fiends among my readers I figure someone does.)
De l'intérieur by Gabriel Dufour-Laperrière was a solo violin piece that was interesting as much for the technical difficulty of the piece (and the precision with which it was performed) as anything else.
X by François Rossé was the big finale with both groups playing. It was probably my favourite piece, and I am sure the most conventional of the evening.
The title piece, Microphone Songs by Michel Gonneville was painful. The music was ok, but the vocals were incredibly distracting. I get that there was some attempt to play with vocal effects, but the singer was singing in her second language, emphasizing things in strange ways, and generally "acting" "angry" and "sad" while her voice was randomly distorted. The result was just irritating. It felt like the vocal equivalent of someone going nuts with spinning flaming skulls and the blink tag just because they could.
The show plays tomorrow in Quebec city.
Personally, if you're craving some contemporary music spectacle in this city, I would recommend waiting for their production of LES AVENTURES DE MADAME MERVEILLE in May.
Of course, I might just be biased in favour of Comic Book Opera.
I find contemporary music challenging. I understand and appreciate they are trying to do new things, but often I find it seems to be cacophony for cacophony's sake.
There were X pieces, and I was quite fond of the first and the last two.
Vaai Irandu by Gabriel Dharmoo was a piece that focused on human voice as an instrument. I am fairly certain there were no actual words in the piece, and it used just about every vocalization I've ever heard in a language. (Including the clicks and pops common to some African languages. I don't know the name of those, but have enough linguistics fiends among my readers I figure someone does.)
De l'intérieur by Gabriel Dufour-Laperrière was a solo violin piece that was interesting as much for the technical difficulty of the piece (and the precision with which it was performed) as anything else.
X by François Rossé was the big finale with both groups playing. It was probably my favourite piece, and I am sure the most conventional of the evening.
The title piece, Microphone Songs by Michel Gonneville was painful. The music was ok, but the vocals were incredibly distracting. I get that there was some attempt to play with vocal effects, but the singer was singing in her second language, emphasizing things in strange ways, and generally "acting" "angry" and "sad" while her voice was randomly distorted. The result was just irritating. It felt like the vocal equivalent of someone going nuts with spinning flaming skulls and the blink tag just because they could.
The show plays tomorrow in Quebec city.
Personally, if you're craving some contemporary music spectacle in this city, I would recommend waiting for their production of LES AVENTURES DE MADAME MERVEILLE in May.
Of course, I might just be biased in favour of Comic Book Opera.
Not the Placebo one might expect
Mar. 1st, 2010 01:11 amThat is probably a somewhat misleading title, but it is 1:11 AM (make a wish).
Still, in this mash-up culture in which music and images and thoughts are recycled and recombined into something new, you often end up in places you didn't anticipate.
As exhibit A I ask you,
When you think of the awesome Placebo cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)", I suspect the first thing you think of is *not* wrestling promo video, is it?
Still, in this mash-up culture in which music and images and thoughts are recycled and recombined into something new, you often end up in places you didn't anticipate.
As exhibit A I ask you,
When you think of the awesome Placebo cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)", I suspect the first thing you think of is *not* wrestling promo video, is it?
A Musical Interlude
Feb. 15th, 2010 11:54 amHappy Lupercalia to everyone who celebrates it.
I present a song that I chose due to the title, not the quality of the writing, A Knife Called Lust.
If that isn't to your liking, there are always Swedish Singing Horses. (courtesy dicea)
Start by clicking on the left-most horse. He's the rhythm horse.
The next one to his right provides the bass line. Click on him to start and stop until you get his pattern lined up with rhythm horse.
The next horse to the right sings the melody. Click on her to start and stop and get her matched up with the other two.
When all of those are working together, click the fourth horse to add in the counter rhythm.
When you're done with the horses, don't forget to click them off in reverse order.
I present a song that I chose due to the title, not the quality of the writing, A Knife Called Lust.
If that isn't to your liking, there are always Swedish Singing Horses. (courtesy dicea)
Start by clicking on the left-most horse. He's the rhythm horse.
The next one to his right provides the bass line. Click on him to start and stop until you get his pattern lined up with rhythm horse.
The next horse to the right sings the melody. Click on her to start and stop and get her matched up with the other two.
When all of those are working together, click the fourth horse to add in the counter rhythm.
When you're done with the horses, don't forget to click them off in reverse order.
I've actually had employment this week, which has kept me mostly offline. Still hoping this might turn into a real job one day.
In the meantime, I heard a song on CBC Radio 2 Shift that needs to go on my list of "Songs about my imaginary girlfriend."
Mine All Mine (My Baby), the 5th track on Mike Plume's new album 8:30 Newfoundland. (Mr. Plume is obviously one of those artists that as a good Canadian I should have discovered long ago. I accept your lectures and recriminations.)
(Of course, CBC has now played a song by Catherine Maclellan called "Take a Break" which is about picking potatoes with cute people and another called "Saskatoon" which features the unlikely chorus "Everythin'll be better by Saskatoon" - this by Leeroy Stagger.)
I now distract you with a picture of a volcano causing lightning.
As a reminder, I will be storytelling at 92 Degrees of Love Friday and Saturday. I am still deciding exactly what story to tell. (I am intending to go Arabian Nights, but I may suddenly change my mind.)
I'm also going to take advantage of my fondness for being written on To Write Love On Her Arms on Friday.
In the meantime, I heard a song on CBC Radio 2 Shift that needs to go on my list of "Songs about my imaginary girlfriend."
Mine All Mine (My Baby), the 5th track on Mike Plume's new album 8:30 Newfoundland. (Mr. Plume is obviously one of those artists that as a good Canadian I should have discovered long ago. I accept your lectures and recriminations.)
(Of course, CBC has now played a song by Catherine Maclellan called "Take a Break" which is about picking potatoes with cute people and another called "Saskatoon" which features the unlikely chorus "Everythin'll be better by Saskatoon" - this by Leeroy Stagger.)
I now distract you with a picture of a volcano causing lightning.
As a reminder, I will be storytelling at 92 Degrees of Love Friday and Saturday. I am still deciding exactly what story to tell. (I am intending to go Arabian Nights, but I may suddenly change my mind.)
I'm also going to take advantage of my fondness for being written on To Write Love On Her Arms on Friday.
